


All that we have left is burning down

by Winters_Deadliest_Kiss



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Best Friends, F/M, turned lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 14:06:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12772644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winters_Deadliest_Kiss/pseuds/Winters_Deadliest_Kiss
Summary: Natasha tries to break up with Clint; it really doesn't go according to plan.





	All that we have left is burning down

She was his safe haven, even if he had never told her out loud. She knew that he loved her. She’d known for a hell of a long time, he knew that. Clint Barton knew that no matter what he said words would never be enough and as he glanced over at her he became more certain than ever. It had been six months since they’d first gotten ‘together’ or at least stopped running from their feelings. Six months of anything but bliss, of course but the two of them were fiery at best. They were both passionate and determined and a cocktail of destruction waiting to happen.

 

Natasha though? Natasha swore in her head every single time that she looked at him that today would be the day that she ended whatever fucking mess they’d allowed themselves to get into because they knew that it would end badly. There was no other way for people like them and she knew it. She knew that it was mixing fire and ice and someday, one of them was going to burn out if they didn’t earn a fucking bullet in the brain before then. She cursed herself internally time and again for ever falling for this smug bastard to begin with.

 

She had already decided that when she’d woken up that morning: Today she was going to tell him this had to stop. It couldn’t carry on because it was putting both their asses on the line and she couldn’t think with his fucking incessant presence in her life when she was out on missions. Okay, no, that was a complete and utter lie. The reason that she wanted to end things was the same reason Natasha always turned tail: he was getting too close and she couldn’t keep him away.

 

And she couldn’t have that; it was a weakness that she couldn’t afford and so she forced herself to take in a deep breath before she banged her fist against the door of his apartment; she had a key but today wasn’t going to be one of _those_ days. Today wasn’t going to be a day where she made herself feel at home with him because today was the day she was finally going to bite the bullet and tell him. Still, she shuffled from one foot to the other as she waited for him to open the door.

 

Though it was hardly a patient wait, after about twenty or so seconds she rolled her eyes and slammed her hand hard against the wood again. That ought to get his attention. A gentle scowl settled across Natasha’s features as she leaned against the wall with her foot across the doorway, a position that almost caused her to fall sideways into his apartment as he swung open the door with a little too much enthusiasm. His hand snaked around her waist as he pulled her to her feet and goddammit, he laughed at her as a sound of surprise broke her lips.

 

“Careful.” He smirked as he spoke, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“Fuck you.” She replied with a huff as she elbowed past him.

“If that’s an offer…” he spoke as he walked in behind her, shutting the door behind the both of them and the smirk on his lips made her heart do that funny little flip in her chest, and so she turned away from him as she surveyed a scene before her eyes that she’d seen a thousand times before this. She’d been in his apartment a thousand times over the last six months alone.

 

She dragged in a deep breath all the same though, it helped to steady her and she scolded herself in her head for being so goddamn emotional about this; she shouldn’t be and she knew it. He should never have gotten that close to begin with and she’d been a fool for letting him. She knew what love was, love wasn’t just a word for people like them it was a weakness, a raw nerve that could be plucked away at and severed at the right moment by someone that wanted to cause you some major pain and cripple you.

 

And Natasha had no shortage of enemies that would do exactly that and she wasn’t going to let that happen. She heard him move before she felt his arms close around her though, and as her back met his chest she squirmed in his grasp.

“Don’t.” the words were almost automatic but she regret it as soon as she said it because she felt him step back, his arms releasing her and she wrapped her arms around herself almost like she subconsciously missed the warmth that had been there moments before.

“What the hell’s up with you today?” he snapped.

“Nothing, we just need to talk.” She replied, trying to make the shrug of her shoulders as casual as possible.

“About?” He stepped around so that he was stood in front of her and she fought to keep her head turned away as his hand moved to her chin to make her look at him.

“If you’re going to say something to me, you’re damn well gonna look at me when you say it, Romanoff.” God, sometimes she really fucking hated this guy.

“We need to end this—whatever this is.” She replied.

“Well that came out of nowhere…” he was blindsided, she could tell. There was a hurt in his eyes that had her release a soft sigh as she pulled another step back to put distance between the two of them and his hand dropped back to his side.

“Did it, though?” She questioned, trying to keep the guilt from making its way into her voice as she studied him; he tried to put on a carefully composed mask but they both knew it was too late for that to work now.

“It’s not like we could have kept this up forever.” The more casual she fought to sound the less she did.

She watched him as he heaved a sigh and a part of her wanted to reach out to comfort him; Natasha clenched her hands into fists at her sides and averted her gaze to his feet. If she had to look in his eyes and do this she was never going to be able to go through with it.

“It’s better for you.” Fucking asshole, don’t you dare make me look at you… Natasha cringed internally at her own thoughts. She was never weak like this.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Tasha?” He snapped back at her and she recoiled a little from his words, like a physical punch to the stomach. She watched the way that he looked at her and a part of her hated herself about as much as she guessed he did in that moment. Natasha stood still though, like a beautiful statue frozen to the spot almost like she wasn't able to move even if she wanted to. She flexed her hands, balling them into fists a few times and releasing them almost like it would let the tensions she felt go. It didn't work and she still refused to look at him.

"I can't do this anymore. I can't come here every day and see you knowing that I'd give anything for you. I can't take that risk." And it was a risk, wasn't it? She spoke through clenched teeth, adamantly refusing to meet his eyes and refusing to back down, maybe that was her problem; once she got an idea into that head of hers though she was a hard person to dissuade. 


End file.
